Omni is a pioneer and world leader in flexible tooling systems.

Omni is dedicated to helping engineers and technicians in the building of superior flexible workholding fixtures, gauges and special machines.

The flexible concept refers to a method in which manufacturing tooling is constructed from standard off-the-shelf modules. These modules may be configured as desired in the building of manufacturing equipment. And, when this equipment is no longer needed the flexible modules are used to build the next generation of equipment.

In many applications, the age-old method of constructing rigid, single purpose equipment for the production of cars, planes, computers and all other manufactured products is too slow and expensive.

Now there is a better way.

This new concept is also known as modular or agile depending on who is discussing the subject. This new and revolutionary method may be applied to many levels of production equipment including fixtures, machines, workcells and complete manufacturing systems. Fixturing, the hardware that is used for holding the workpiece, is the area where flexible equipment design has made its greatest impact.

Like all great ideas, flexible or modular fixturing was born out of great need. During the early years of World War II, aircraft factories in Great Britain were being bombed relentlessly. In order to keep up production of fighters like the Spitfire and Hurricane, some new and revolutionary methods had to be instituted very quickly. One of the ideas was the modular tooling concept. From a group of universal components, many types of workholding fixtures and gauges could be quickly built. This allowed production to continue even when factories and much needed workholding tooling was being destroyed. After the war the great success of modular systems was forgotten and the world went back to building dedicated fixtures and gauges for nearly every operation of every product. So now we are rediscovering a fantastic concept that was forgotten, laying dormant for many years.

Today's great need is a bit different but nearly as dramatic. If a manufacturing organization is unable to meet ever compressing "time-to-market" goals and plummeting cost targets, they simply go out of business. These companies cease to exist, victims of the new world marketplace. We feel that Omni products and ideas are part of the answer for the manufacturing organization that wants to remain or become a world class company.